The other day, I told you about how two professors from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education came to be involved with Russia's orphanages. Now, I'd like to tell you what they have achieved through their work.

Their goals were two-fold: make care more consistent and more responsive. They had found that the average child in a Russian baby home could expect to encounter as many as 100 caregivers during his or her time there. Most of... more

We spend a lot of time without shoes in my family. We have a "shoes off" policy year round when we enter the house, which cuts (but by no means eliminates) the amount of mud that gets tracked through.

But in summer, it's hard to keep the shoes on wherever we are, inside or out. And when I was looking at my little guy's toes the other day as he got ready to head outside, I was struck by how far he has come since coming home from Sakhalin Island in October 2005.

Then,... more

We're in the midst of another banana blitz at my house.

My kids are, thankfully, big eaters of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've already noted their disproportionately large consumption of potatoes, cucumbers and beets, which I think may have something to do with their Russian heritage.

But every few months, I notice another eating trend: A huge consumption of bananas. Huge--a pound every other day huge. I don't know for sure, but my guess... more

There is a lot of talk about growth this month on Russian adoption blogs and e-mail groups.

On "Bringing Ivan Home" Denise writes about her son's first doctor visit and how much he has grown since coming to America in January. Over at Yahoo!'s Sakhalin Island Adoption Group, Liane, Sue and Bette are celebrating height and weight milestones for kids that remain, nonetheless, smaller than American-born kids their age.

That's... more